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Frequently Asked Questions About Judson Mine Pit, MN
- How big is Judson Mine Pit?
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How big is Judson Mine Pit?
How deep is Judson Mine Pit?
What kind of fish can you catch in Judson Mine Pit?
Other fish species in the lake include Blacknose Shiner, Common Shiner, Creek Chub, Fathead Minnow, Golden Shiner, Green Sunfish, Rainbow Smelt, Splake and White Sucker.
Are there places to stay in the Judson Mine Pit area?
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Are there boat launches on Judson Mine Pit?
Are there places to eat and drink near Judson Mine Pit?
History & Status of the Fishery
JJudson Mine Pit is located just west of the City of Buhl, MN. The relatively small, 18 acre pit has very little littoral area (3 acres), a maximum depth of 64 feet, and about 0.8 miles of shoreline. The City of Buhl maintains two carry-in accesses; one on the southwest shore and a fishing platform on the northwest shore. Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) has been the lead agency for a long-term reclamation project that has included reshaping pit walls, stabilizing erodible areas, and purchasing trout from a private hatchery for stocking. Trout management began in 1984 and IRRRB has biannually (spring and fall) purchased rainbow trout since 1997.
Rainbow trout numbers appeared to be limited, as only one was sampled during the assessment. The gill net catch rate was 0.3/net, while the length was 10.3 inches. This fish was likely from the spring stocking. The absence of fish suggests poor survival from competition, environmental factors, or angler harvest.
Angler reports suggested the invasive species, rainbow smelt, were present in the pit. A special small mesh gill net, specifically set to sample smelt, had a catch rate of 183.0/net. Lengths ranged from 4.6-8.3 with a mean length of 6.3 inches. The length frequency distribution suggests multiple age classes present. Standard gill nets also sampled two smelt with lengths near six inches.
White sucker were the most numerous species sampled in gill nets (11.5/net), while green sunfish were sampled at a rate of 1.8/net. Both catch rates were similar to previous assessments (9.0/net and 2.6/net). Conversely, green sunfish were sampled at a rate of 30.8/trap net and white sucker at a rate of 1.8/trap net. Again, the catch was similar to the previous assessment (25.6/net and 1.2/trap net). This was the first assessment to sample yellow perch, at a rate of 4.0/trap net.
Near shore sampling included a minnow trap which sampled only green sunfish. Crew notes indicated other species of minnows were observed in the shallows, but not sampled.
